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Home / Equine Research Bank / J Vet Intern Med / Age effects on blood gas, spirometry, airway reactivity, and...
Journal of veterinary internal medicine2014; 28(2); 603-608; doi: 10.1111/jvim.12318

Age effects on blood gas, spirometry, airway reactivity, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology in clinically healthy horses.

Abstract: Despite the increasing number of geriatric horses attended by veterinarians, there is a lack of understanding of aging-related changes on the respiratory system of horses. Objective: To identify aging-related changes on the respiratory function and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cytology of horses. Methods: Fifteen healthy young adult (2-11 years) and 16 healthy aged (≥20 years) horses. Methods: The respiratory system was examined by measurement of arterial blood gases (ABG), use of respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) for assessment of breathing pattern and ventilatory parameters, histamine bronchoprovocation, and BALF cytology. Results: No significant differences were detected with regard to values obtained by ABG or bronchoprovocation of young adult and aged healthy horses. In aged horses, there were significant differences in mean ± SD of the following parameters when compared to young horses: prolonged expiratory time (Te) measured by RIP (3.9 ± 1.5 s versus 3.0 ± 0.6 s), decreased percentage of alveolar macrophages (40.6 ± 11.3% versus 53.5 ± 9.6%), and increased percentage of lymphocytes (53.4 ± 9.5% versus 43.9 ± 11.0%). No correlations between airway reactivity and ventilatory parameters, ABG, or BALF cytology were found in this asymptomatic population. Conclusions: These results suggest that aging does not cause changes in the results obtained by ABG, most RIP-derived variables, and bronchoprovocation in the horse. A decreased percentage of macrophage and an increased percentage of lymphocytes in the BALF cytology may be expected in the asymptomatic geriatric horse and may be a result of aging.
Copyright © 2014 by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.
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Publication Date: 2014-02-16 PubMed ID: 24528225PubMed Central: PMC4857999DOI: 10.1111/jvim.12318Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research article investigates how aging affects the respiratory system health and lung fluid (bronchoalveolar lavage fluid or BALF) cytology of horses. It concludes that although certain respiratory parameters may change with age, others such as arterial blood gases and bronchoprovocation results remain consistent.

Research Methods

  • The research involved 31 horses, where 15 were considered young adult (age 2-11 years) and 16 were categorized as aged (20 years or older).
  • The horses’ respiratory systems were examined using several methods, including arterial blood gas (ABG) measurements, respiratory inductive plethysmography (RIP) to assess ventilatory parameters and breathing patterns, histamine bronchoprovocation, and cytology of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF).

Research Findings

The findings of this research were classified as follows:

  • Arterial Blood Gases (ABGs): The study found no significant differences in ABG values between young adult and aged healthy horses indicating the efficacy of respiratory function does not change significantly as horses age.
  • Histamine Bronchoprovocation: Similar to ABGs, the bronchoprovocation test results did not show significant differences between the two age groups.
  • Respiratory Inductive Plethysmography (RIP) and BALF Cytology: The research noted significant differences with increased age. Aged horses exhibited prolonged expiratory time (Te) as measured by RIP and changes in BALF cytology. Specifically, the research found a decrease in the percentage of alveolar macrophages and an increase in the percentage of lymphocytes in aged horses compared to the younger group.

Research Conclusions

The research concluded:

  • The results derived from ABG measurements and bronchoprovocation are not affected by the aging of horses.
  • The aged horses showed significant changes in BALF cytology with a decreased percentage of macrophages and an increased percentage of lymphocytes. This might be indicative of changes due to aging and not any disease process.
  • No correlations were found between airway reactivity, ventilatory parameters, ABG, or BALF cytology in the asymptomatic population indicating that any alterations are not indicative of disease in this population but may be a normal part of the aging process.

Cite This Article

APA
Pacheco AP, Paradis MR, Hoffman AM, Hermida P, Sanchez A, Nadeau JA, Tufts M, Mazan MR. (2014). Age effects on blood gas, spirometry, airway reactivity, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology in clinically healthy horses. J Vet Intern Med, 28(2), 603-608. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvim.12318

Publication

Journal of veterinary internal medicine
ISSN: 1939-1676
NlmUniqueID: 8708660
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 28
Issue: 2
Pages: 603-608

Researcher Affiliations

Pacheco, A P
  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, Tufts University, North Grafton, MA.
Paradis, M R
    Hoffman, A M
      Hermida, P
        Sanchez, A
          Nadeau, J A
            Tufts, M
              Mazan, M R

                MeSH Terms

                • Aging / blood
                • Aging / physiology
                • Animals
                • Blood Gas Analysis / veterinary
                • Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / cytology
                • Female
                • Horses / blood
                • Horses / growth & development
                • Horses / physiology
                • Male
                • Respiratory Physiological Phenomena
                • Spirometry / veterinary

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                Citations

                This article has been cited 10 times.
                1. Al-Ali MA, Shawaf T. Effect of age, season, and gender on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cytology in camels. Open Vet J 2023 May;13(5):550-557.
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